feldom in the wrong, when we hear them talk of their Conduct. The fame Self-Love that blinds them at other times, guides them on thefe occafions,with fo quick and penetrating a Light, as to make them either fupprefs, or disguise the leaft matters that are liable to be condemned.

IV. Our bad Qualities generally take better in the intercourse of familiar Converfation, than our good

ones.

V. The defects of the Mind, like the Wrinkles and Blemishes of the Face, grow ftill proportionably with Age.

VI. Men make themselves ridiculous, not fo much by the Qualities they have, as by the Affectation of thofe they have not.

VII. As fome Men difplease with Merit, fo on the other hand, fome are pleafant and agreeable with Failings.

VIII. We confefs our Faults with defign by our Sincerity, to make amends for the injury they have done us in the Efteem of others.

IX. 'Tis only for great Men,to have great Failing

X. The Defects of the Mind are like Wounds in the Body; which never can be fo well heal'd up, but there remains ftill a Scar, which is in a continual Danger to open again.

XI. We own our finall Failings, with a defign, to make People believe that we have no great ones.

XII. There are fome Failings, which when ingeniously manag'd and improv'd, make a brighter fhew than Virtue it felf.

XIII. We have not the Confidence to fay in geneal Terms, that our felves have no ill Qualities, and that our Enemies have no good ones; but when we talk of Particulars, we are pretty near thinking fo.

The

XIV. The greatest part of our Faults are more ex. cufable, than the Methods we commonly use to conceal them.

XV. We value our felves, and take a pride in the Faults more diftant from our own; when we are fickle and irrefolute, we brag of being obftinate and peremptory.

XVI. We easily forgive our Friends thofe Faults, that are not contrary to our Interests.

XVII. Most Men attempt to vindicate and take a pride in thofe Faults they have no defign to mend.

XVIII. A great many Men, as if they had not Faults enough, are ftill perpetually adding to the number of them, by the Affectation of fome particular Qualities, which they cherish and cultivate fo carefully, that they come at laft to be natural, and past their power to mend, though they would.

XIX. Moft Men are afham'd of their Self-conceit, when they come to know their Failings.

XX. Gravity is a mysterious Behaviour of the Body, to conceal the Defects of the Mind.

XXI. Profperous Perfons feldom mend their Faults; they always think themselves in the right, fo long as Fortune Contenances their ill Conduct.

XXII. The Counterfeit Honeft Man difguifes his Faults to others and himself; the true unaffected Honest Man knows his own Failings perfectly, and confeffes them ingenuously.

XXIII. The grace of Novelty, and the length of Custom, though never fo oppofite to each other, yet do both alike disguise to us the Failings of our Friends. XXIV. There are no good Copies, except fuch as expofe the Ridicule and Folly of the Original.

XXV. Few Men fear to be defpis'd, except thofe who really deferve to be fo. M 4

XXVI.

XXVI. It argues a great Mind, the free and fincere confeffion both of our Faults and Perfections.

XXVII. Did Men but take as much care to mend, as they do to conceal their Failings, they would both fpare themselves that trouble which Diffimulation puts them to; and gain over and above the Commendations they afpire to by their feeming Virtues,

XXVIII. When a Man has any notable Defect or Infirmity about him, whether by Nature or by Chance, 'tis the best of his play to try the Humour, if he can turn it into a Fashion.

XXIV. To deny our Faults when others are acquainted with them, ferves but to make us the more ridiculous, by adding Arrogance to our first Error.

XXX. We may learn as much by other Peoples Faults, as by their Inftructions.

XXXI. It is an ordinary Failing with most Men, never to be contented with their Fortune, or diffatisfied with their Wit.

XXXII. As Perfumes affect more strongly other People, than those that carry 'em; fo the Failings, of others, offend us much fooner than our own. The continual Commerce we have with our Inclinations, difguifes them to us. Nothing is new in our felves, but every thing appears fo in others. Our Reafon contracts a kind of Familiarity and Friendship with our Defaults, when at the fame time it weighs, examines and condemns thofe of our Neighbours with the utmost Severities.

XXXIII. There is ne'er a Man fo perfect and necellary to his Frionds, but he has fome Defect or other,that Counterbalances,in fome meafure,his good Qualities, and renders his lofs lefs fenfible to those that out-live him.

*XXXIV. Men are not fo much afham'd of their Crimes, as they are of their Weakness and Vanity. He that is openly Unjuft, Violent, Perfidious, and a Slanderer, conceals his Love or his Ambition, with no other design, than to conceal it only.

* XXXV. Men labour under many Imperfecti-, ons, that no body would take notice of, if themfeves were not over-follicitous to conceal them.

Families, Mafters, Servants.

Mo& Mafters

Oft Mafters cry out upon all Servants, that they are Rogues, and the Plagues of a Family; and if Servants ever come to be Mafters, they will fay just the fame thing. The Reafon is, bebecause generally it is not the Qualities, but the Fortunes of Men, that make the difference between thein.

Families are often inwardly torn and divided, by Diftrufts, Jealoufies and Antipathies; while a contented, cheerful and fmiling Out fide impofes up on the World, and makes us imagine, that there is nothing but Peace and Quietnefs Within: There are few Houses that get any thing by being too nicely look'd into; and Vifits generally fufpend a Domeftick Quarrel, which will begin a fresh as foom as the Company goes off.

* No Men are so strict Exacters of Modefty in a Servant,as thofe that are most prodigal of their own, * Age is well-nigh fufficient to deface with fome Mafters, every Letter and Action in the Hiftory of a Meritorious Life; and old Services are generally bury'd under the Ruins of an old Carcafs.

* 'Tis a common thing for Mafter to facrifice Servant to his own Ease and Intereft: but there's no medling with Men of that Inhofpitable Humour, where the Domefticks, how faithful soever, can never be fecure.

*It is a barbarous inhumanity in GreatMen to their Servants, to make their small Failings to be a Crime, without allowing their past Services to have been a Virtue; and this is found with Masters and Mistresses, as well in Courts as in private Families; where one ftumble is oftentimes enough to deface the Character of an honourable Life.

* That which Men are to Horses, in the Scale of Creatures,Men in Power and Authority, are in fome proportion to the Poor and Weak; that is to fay, in the Analogy of Servitude and Drudgery, and in the carrying of fome fort of Burdens, that are a fhame to the Bearer. They to that end Moil for the Intereft of their Mafters, that in requital, break the very Hearts of them for their Pleafure, and the Freer they are of their Flesh, the more Scandalous is the Bondage. When they have done all that Horfes can do, they are Lash'd, Spurr'd, Revil'd, and ill-treated, for not being able to do more; they are Hurry'd on without either Refpite or Reafon,and after they have carry'd theirRiders fafe over all Leaps, and through all Dangers, and by all ways and means contributed to the Eafe,Credit and Security of their Matters, What comes of them in the end, but to be Strain'd, Founder'd, Broken-winded? Old Age over-takes 'em, and they are e'en glad to take up in a Mill at laft, with Grains and Thiftles, and there fpend the remainder of a wretched Life, in a circulation of Mifery and Labour. If

any